vertheless, if he found it necessary to proclaim
martial law in the province, they would take upon themselves the
responsibility. Accounts of open disturbance had been recently received;
and there was reason to believe that a collision had taken place between
her majesty's troops and persons in arms for treasonable purposes. He
thought that government had done their duty in the measures they had
taken. On the morrow he purposed to produce such details from Lord
Gosford's despatches as might be communicated without injury to the
public service, and would call upon parliament, in January, for such
measures as the exigency of the case might demand. Mr. Leader applauded
the resort of the Canadians to arms, and derided as desperate every
effort of the government to put them down; their cause was considered
a common one by all our North American colonies. Sir William Molesworth
and Messrs. Grote and Warburton all expressed their sympathy for the
Canadian insurgents, and augured their success. A discussion ensued,
in which the Radical leaders denounced the mother country in terms as
strong as any employed by the leaders of the Canadian insurgents. Mr.
Warburton advocated the separation of the colony from the empire. Mr.
Gladstone maintained a just view of the dispute between the colony and
the mother country, but so mystified his arguments by useless subtleties
and verbosity, that the speech failed to produce an effect corresponding
to its substantial merits. Mr. Leader boldly expressed his complacency
in the dismemberment of the empire, and the speech of the hon. member
was denounced by Mr. George F. Young as disloyal. Sir George Grey made
a sensible speech, expository of the true condition of Canadian affairs.
Mr. Maclean exposed and denounced the conduct of Mr. Papineau, the
leader of the French Canadian insurgent party. Lord John Russell
delivered a speech sound and statesman-like, which completely "carried
the house with the government." As usual when ministers were at issue
with their Radical supporters, the Conservative party took no prominent
share in the debate. On the following day both houses of parliament
adjourned to the 16th of January.

STATE OF THE CONTINENT.

War still continued in Spain. At the close of the last year the troops
of the queen had succeeded in the relief of Bilboa, an event which had
the effect of giving rise to dissensions among the Carlists. After this
event, many weeks were spent by th